Information Technology cum Mines Department Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal has called rural areas of the State a big challenge in the dream of making Jharkhand a cashless State.
Divulging programme of 3rd DigiDhan Mela of the State in to be organised in Dhanbad on Thursday, he said today that the government was working on tie-up with new telecom operators to encourage people and to make rural areas cashless.
Barnwal said that Dhanbad DigiDhan Mela will be inaugurated by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Golf Grounds on February 9. The government has invited noted celebrities from the State, including Cricketer Sourav Tiwari, Gold Medalist Boxer Aruna Mishra and Pooja Chatterjee to encourage visitors from rural areas for cashless transaction. Over 100 stalls, including that of banks, UIDAI which provides Aadhaar, information technology products will be installed in the Mela.
As many as 15,000 people from the country will be awarded Rs 1,000 cashback each for using cashless mode of transaction below Rs 3,000 in their daily life under lucky Grahak Yojna of DigiDhan Mela. Similarly, 7,000 traders are also being awarded Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,500 every week under Digital Vyapar Yojna.
Barnwal said that the government was taking benefit of Digital Jagriti Yojna of the central government to spread awareness about digital mode of transactions and payments in panchayats of the State. “We have been able to spread awareness in as many as 1,500 panchayats under this plan so far. The State government has also allotted Rs 54 crores to Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited (BSNl) for installing wi-fi devices on 982 mobile towers in remote areas with 2MBPS speed within 2 kms each. This work is to be completed within 60 days,” said Barnwal.
In the meeting where I-T Department Special Secretary Sarvesh Singhal, PRD Director Rajiv lochan Bakshi and others where present, Barnwal said that the government had successfully added 404 panchayats with broadband network. He said that the government was making rigorous efforts to bring entire State under mobile internet cover as soon as possible.